Jigsaw
by whoisjohngalt12
Summary: Takes place after the season finale. Elena says she loves Stefan, but it seems that when it matters most it's the elder Salvatore brother by her side. Could Isobel have been right? Could Damon be...
1. Missing Pieces

Elena pushed the door open to the kitchen and saw blood - and a lot of it. It was smeared all over the refrigerator door, on the island in the center of the room, and the pool on the floor was slowly inching its way closer to her toes. She felt her stomach roll - _Jenna or Jeremy? _the voice in her head whispered and she swallowed thickly._ No. _It was too much. Too much heartache, too much death. She couldn't bring herself to move - to look behind the island and see for herself. Pulling her phone out of her pocket she scrolled down to Stefan's name and hit send.

"Tattling on yourself already Elena?" Damon's voice came through the speaker of the phone with his usual snarky attitude.

"Help - me." Elena choked, not even recognizing that she was speaking to the wrong Salvatore brother. Damon knew instantly that something was very wrong and within seconds he was standing beside Elena in the kitchen.

"Elena what -" and then he smelled it, the blood all over the kitchen. He felt his fangs elongate and the hunger set in. For a minute he was completely overwhelmed by it, forgot why he was even there, and then he saw Elena's face. She looked - lifeless. She hadn't even turned to look at him since he had arrived, just stood there staring at the blood on the floor like a statue.

"Elena?" he said softly as he stepped toward her to lightly grip her chin with his fingertips. "Elena, are you okay?" Stupid question. She was obviously not okay. "Are you hurt?" He lifted her face so that she had no choice but to look him in the eyes and what he saw in them affected him more than he even thought possible. The spark in her eyes was gone, burnt out. She hadn't blinked yet and Damon was starting to get nervous. "Elena say something please."

" J - " she started the sound but nothing else came out and Damon wracked his brain. _Jeremy. Jenna._ _Oh God._ He turned to look back at the scarlet liquid smeared across the kitchen and tried to pick up on the sound of a heartbeat. There was only one in the kitchen, Elena's. He let go of her chin, took a step toward the refrigerator and looked around the corner to find Uncle John's blood stained corpse. He felt relief wash over him like a tidal wave, but when he turned back to look at Elena's lifeless face he still couldn't bring himself to tell her. John had been Elena's birth father - and despite the fact that he had been a total ass to her his entire life - she had only just found out that he was her father, hadn't even really gotten to talk to him. For once, he actually cared enough about another person's feelings that blurting the truth out in his usual fashion seemed repugnant.

"Elena, it's not Jeremy or Jenna," he said hoping to give her some sort of relief but she just stared blankly at the island in the room not moving. "Elena," he called again as he moved toward her hoping she would say something, anything, but she didn't. He didn't know what to do, and then he remembered what she had done for him when he had felt the same. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he enveloped her in his arms and held her there. Within seconds he felt tears on his shirt that slowly worked their way into full fledged sobs. He let her cry as he rubbed circles into her back trying to calm her down without words. She cried for so long he couldn't judge how much time had passed, but when she finally stopped she pulled away from him and looked up into his face.

"Who's blood is it then?" she asked him, as she visibly tried to pull herself together and inject some of that resilience she always had back into her voice.

"John." Damon told her without hesitation and waited for a reaction. Her face didn't change, but she took a few steps to her right so that she could see around the island to look at the body. She cringed and walked around the island in the opposite direction to avoid the blood and knelt down at her biological father's side. He thought she'd cry again, or throw a fit and scream, but she didn't do any of those things. She grabbed hold of the kitchen knife sticking out of John's stomach, pulled it out and set it on the counter.

"I should go wake up Jenna and Jeremy," she said flatly as she began to walk out of the room.

"Do you - need me - to help?" Damon faltered over the words. He was pretty sure he hadn't said them in over a century.

"No," she turned around to look back at him and was surprised to find sincerity in those piercing blue eyes. The emotion transformed his whole face and almost made her want to change her mind about his request. For a second she wanted him to tell her everything would be okay. That he would protect her and make sure nothing ever happened to her or her family ever again. She wanted him to hold her again - but this was Damon, not Stefan, and it would do her good to remember that.

"Not really much you can do. What's done is done." She pushed open the door to the kitchen and walked out into the hallway and Damon followed. When she got to the steps she came to a halt.

"Huh," she mused aloud. "I wonder who brought my stuff back. I thought someone stole it."

Damon walked over to where she stood and looked at the dress bag and purse.

"Elena _you_ brought that home with you. I saw you, we talked, I helped you with that stuff." _We kissed._ He knew her homecoming had been traumatic, but nothing could have made him forget that kiss.

"What are you talking about? This is the first time I've seen you since I left the party."

"But - " Damon grappled with the mush of words in his brain but nothing came out. It didn't make sense. Had she been compelled? No, she was still wearing the vervain necklace. Lying? No, that wasn't it either, she looked genuinely confused. Elena was a terrible liar. But then who could it have been? Another Ele - _No. _The voice in Damon's mind gasped.

"That conniving little bitch." Damon growled as he dialed Stefan's number and hit the send button.

"We have a problem. Get to Elena's - now. I'm going...hunting." and with that he was gone leaving Elena staring at the empty space he had been standing in mere seconds ago.


	2. Puzzles Unsolved

"Elena what's going on?" She hadn't gotten halfway up the steps before Stefan had burst through the front door.

"Uncle John was murdered." She said flatly and felt her stomach twist uncomfortably. That would have to be dealt with later.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he started to climb up the stairs toward her.

"I don't know," she said honestly, "I have to go wake up Jenna and Jeremy and tell them what happened."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"What do you mean Stefan?"

"I just -"

" Are you suggesting I not tell them at all? Just take John out into the woods and bury him, clean up the mess and tell them that John cut his visit short in the morning?" Elena's voice kept getting louder and louder as she went on. "He was part of our family - he was my father," the last word came out as a whisper and Stefan reached up to pull her into his arms.

"I didn't mean it like that Elena. I just thought it might be easier on everyone if I took care of some things and we could explain in the morning - when you've had some time to deal."

"He was family Stefan. We all need to deal with this _together_. I won't keep them in the dark," she spat and ran up the stairs to Jeremy's room. Jeremy was sleeping on his bed - he looked so peaceful she almost wanted to take Stefan up on his plan and leave him be. He'd been through so much lately, so much loss. She knew he hadn't been John's biggest fan, none of them had been really, but he was still his uncle and another death he'd have to deal with. She didn't want to tell him, didn't want to see that look on his face again, but he already hated her for the secrets she'd already kept from him. If she wanted to fix that she'd have to be honest.

"Jer?" Elena called as she lightly shook his shoulder. "Jer wake up, it's important." He didn't respond and she shook him a little harder. "Jeremy," she said loudly. "Jeremy _wake up_." Nothing. It was weird, he was such a light sleeper he normally woke up at the sound of anything. "Jeremy!" she yelled, probably waking Aunt Jenna up in the process. She was shaking him hard but he just flopped around like a limp rag doll. Stefan must have heard her yell as well, he and Jenna came in the room just a few seconds later.

"Elena what's going on?" Jenna asked, confusion in her eyes.

"Jeremy won't wake up. I need to talk to you," she explained. Jenna opened her mouth to say something, probably something along the lines of "tell us what?" when Stefan bolted to the side of Jeremy's bed and whispered loud enough that only Elena would be able to hear. "He's not breathing."

"Jenna call 911. Something's wrong with Jeremy."

When they got to the hospital Jeremy was still alive, but barely. Elena was thankful for all of those CPR classes she'd taken last year, they'd kept Jeremy alive until the ambulance had arrived. As they wheeled his bed into the ER Elena slumped against the wall and sunk to the floor.

"He'll be okay." Stefan tried to soothe her as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms.  
"Don't lie to me Stefan. I know you're trying to be supportive, but I've been through enough to know that everything doesn't just turn out okay because I need it to. Jeremy could die in there." He just stared at her, knowing she'd spoken the truth but still wanting to comfort her in some way.

"They have great doctors here Elena, Jeremy has a fighting ch - "

"Just be quiet Stefan, " she snapped and he flinched. "I'll go get us some coffee," he said dejectedly and Elena just closed her eyes. He was trying to be helpful she knew, but all she really wanted was for someone to just sit here with her and hold her hand. She didn't want to be reassured or pampered or treated like a child, she just wanted someone to sit here and try to be strong with her no matter what happened. She needed that realism, no more lies.

A few minutes later Jenna appeared looking drained. Elena picked herself up off the floor and walked over to embrace her. "They're pumping his stomach Elena. He took a bunch of pills. I don't know why - " she choked off with a sob and Elena hugged her again. "It'll be okay," she found herself repeating the words she'd just snapped at Stefan for telling her, but Jenna seemed more comforted by them. After a few minutes she wiped her eyes and brought her gaze to meet Elena's again. "They said if he survives the night he'll be fine." Elena sighed. At least there was an end in sight, just a few hours. Just then Stefan came back with coffee. He opened his mouth to say something to them but then changed his mind and silently handed over the cups.

"They pumped his stomach. I guess he took a bunch of pills. The doctors say if he makes it through the night he'll be okay," Elena repeated the news to Stefan and he nodded.

"Do you need me to do anything?" he asked softly and Elena grabbed his arm and led him away from Jenna.

"Can you go to the house and take care of John? After all that's happened I don't want them to have to come home and deal with that too. And if you find any clues as to what happened with Jeremy or who killed Uncle John for that matter, I haven't even thought about that yet, just let me know okay?"

"Of course. Just call me if you need anything else okay?" he cupped her face with his hands and kissed her on the forehead, "I love you."

"I love you too Stefan," she said hollowly as he turned to walk out the hospital doors. When he was about two feet from the exit he turned around again to face her.

"Elena do you know where Damon is?" he queried, suspicion clearly clouding his face.

"No, no idea." she answered honestly then he turned on his heel and walked through the door.

The next hour was excruciating for Elena. Jenna had fallen asleep but Elena couldn't even close her eyes without seeing all sorts of horrifying images from the past few months. So much death, so much pain, it was all becoming too much too quickly. There was no way she could sleep, but sitting alone in the waiting room with nothing to do but think wasn't helping her nerves much either. After draining the last few sips of her coffee she got up to toss it in the trash bin and go get another.

When she reached the tiny cafe in the lobby of the hospital she spent a couple of minutes browsing the menu deciding whether or not to try something different when she heard a familiar voice come from behind her.

"You should go for the hot chocolate. It's classic and sweet, and you know - they say chocolate is an aphrodisiac. It's sexy."

"I like coffee," Elena said as she turned to see Damon's smirking face.

"Yeah but coffee's so bitter and _brooding_. You may like it, but I'm sure that once you've had a taste of the chocolate you'll never go back."

Despite the situation Elena found herself grinning at their banter as she made her way up to the counter.

"Coffee, black. _Extra_ bitter." she told the man at the counter and heard Damon's laugh. The man looked a bit grossed out, but handed her the styrofoam cup full of what she asked and she turned back around to face Damon.

"Taste it," he said with a grin and Elena brought the cup to her lips and took a big gulp, stubbornly trying to suppress the look of disgust her facial muscles were trying to make - unsuccessfully. Damon smirked again. "Whatever," Elena brushed him off as she grabbed a handful of sugar and creamer. I'm going back to the waiting room. She turned away from him to walk back and he followed, catching up to her to walk side by side.

"Is he okay?" Damon asked softly, serious now.

"How did you know we were here?" she asked, curious as to how he had ever found out about Jeremy or them being at the hospital.

"I came back to your house and no one was there. I saw the empty bottle of pills in the bathroom and put two and two together. Is he still alive?"

"Yes," Elena breathed, "but barely. They said if he makes it through the night he'll be fine."

"Yes but has he been fine the whole time Elena? Has his heart stopped at all? Any complications?" Damon stopped her and turned her shoulders to face him.

"Not that I know of, why?" Something was wrong, she knew it. "Damon?"

"I found an empty vial of blood with the pill bottle Elena - a vial of vampire blood. I think Jeremy tried to turn himself." Damon said quietly and Elena felt her chest constrict.

"But why would he - "

"He was in pain Elena. I tried to help him, but I think I may only have had the opposite effect. He asked me if it was easier to be a vampire, to be able to turn away from your humanity and pain. I think he misunderstood my answer."

Elena appeared angry for a second, but then her shoulders slumped and she sighed. "I don't think there's a right way to do anything anymore. Thank you for trying."

Damon didn't know what to say after that, but it seemed like Elena didn't feel like talking much either so he followed her silently to the waiting room and sat down next to her. There were reruns of The Simpsons playing on the TV in the room and he tried to watch to keep his mind off all of the things running through his mind at the moment but it didn't work. He hadn't found Katherine, but he knew she was around for sure. During his search he'd found twelve men dead with bite marks on their neck. Typical Katherine overkill, and all men. He had no idea where to find her at the moment but he knew that she would be back - and she had been invited in Elena's home. It was no longer safe for them to be there, but he had no idea what to do about that either. It was so frustrating he wanted to kill something, but just as his anger began to flare Elena's head lolled and fell onto his shoulder. He could feel her warm body moving up and down with slow and steady breaths and with each one he felt some of his anger start to dissipate. The human girl who was falling asleep on his shoulder seemed to have that calming effect on him as no one else ever had. Slowly he found himself relaxing enough to close his eyes and fall asleep listening to the soft rhythm of her breathing.


End file.
